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We’re here again on the precipice of college baseball and, in many ways, the weirdest thing of the season is trying to rank the teams in a preseason power rankings.
Is the main consideration last year, when Tennessee won its first College World Series crown? What will happen this year? Something in between?
All we truly know is that the SEC again is loaded. Baseball America’s top 4 teams in its preseason Top 25 came from the SEC. BA also projected 13 teams to make the NCAA Tournament.
Good luck sorting this out.
Granted, in a couple weeks when a CWS contender is 3-3 after a brutal schedule and a bottom of the league team is 6-0 over East Metropolitan Boise Typewriting Institute, that’s also weird.
But with everybody sitting at 0-0, here’s where we’ve got the teams of the SEC stacked up ahead of Friday’s Opening Day.
Preseason SEC baseball rankings
Baseball America has projected 13 SEC teams will make the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Here’s how we see it, in inverse order:
16. Missouri (23-32 last year)
No offense intended to Kerrick Jackson, but somebody has to finish last. Missouri hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2012, so here they sit.
15. Ole Miss (27-29 last year)
The Rebels could be on pace for a 3rd consecutive losing season. Of course, they won the College World Series the year before that, in 2022, but memories can get short. That 5.88 team ERA from last season has to improve, but there’s enough pitching talent that the Rebels could surprise.
14. South Carolina (37-25 last year)
Former LSU coach Paul Mainieri didn’t inherit an easy job The Gamecocks had some big graduation losses, so while slugger Ethan Petry is back, there are some questions. Pitching will be key for South Carolina, which was adequate a year ago with a 5.05 team ERA. If they can replicate that, they’ll jump a few spots and probably be back in the NCAA Tournament again. If not, it could be a long season until Petry hears his name called in the first round of the MLB Draft.
13. Auburn (27-26 last year)
Stud catcher Ike Irish, another projected first-round pick this summer, and the rest of Butch Thompson’s Tigers can hit, but can they get anybody out? Last year’s 5.94 team ERA would suggest a problem. One of the most important transfers in the league is Florida’s Cade Fisher. If he can give Auburn a reliable Friday starter, they could be upwardly mobile from this spot.
12. Alabama (33-24 last year)
Rob Vaughn’s team has plenty of hitters but few big name standouts. That’s OK, because much like their in-state rivals, the mound is the hidden key here. A season ago, Vaughn coaxed a 5.69 ERA out of this group. There’s talent here, but the lack of prior pitching production keeps Alabama in the lower half of the league, although probably in the NCAA Tournament.
11. Oklahoma (40-21 last year)
The Sooners were pretty impressive in the Big 12, but they’ve got a new work address this spring. This pitching staff — led by projected first-rounder Kyson Witherspoon — is SEC-worthy and should fit in well, but Oklahoma looks like a more extreme version of Arkansas. The power potential is questionable and the Sooners have to prove they can consistently hit SEC pitching.
10. Mississippi State (40-23 last year)
State looks like a team that promises to be solid across the board. Is good, good enough? Baseball America ranked the Bulldogs at No. 18 — but behind 8 other SEC teams. A year ago, a 4.15 ERA attested to an impressive pitching staff. But a team with just 79 homers can struggle to create runs. Meanwhile, the aces who pitched them into the regionals are gone. State could surprise or could struggle.
9. Kentucky (46-16 last year)
Kentucky is a challenge. Last year’s team overachieved its way to the College World Series. But most of those guys are gone. Nick Mingione caught onto the transfer portal as a game-changer earlier than most. He added 29 transfers this year, too. But now that everybody is swimming in portal waters, did he still snag enough big talent for Kentucky to reload rather than rebuild? It’s a fair question and only more SEC wins can prove the answer.
8. Texas (36-24 last year)
The Jim Schlossnagle hiring certainly ensured that nobody’s going to sleep on the Longhorns’ SEC debut. In-state and in-conference coach swiping is certainly one way to juice things up. Texas looks strong at the plate — the headliner is Max Belyeu — but their pitching will probably keep them out of the race for the top of the SEC. They’ll be a dangerous team by the time of postseason play.
7. Georgia (43-17 last year)
Wes Johnson’s squad is earning top-10 plaudits from some — which might still equate to 7th in the SEC. Baseball America started the Dawgs at No. 11. The lineup lost a generational bat in Charlie Condon but has a strong combination of returnees and transfer portal standouts. Tre Phelps has All-SEC potential. The pitching staff is also relatively impressive, with Kolten Smith looking like a potential ace with his multitude of pitches. Georgia fans, don’t hate on this … somebody has to be 7th.
6. Vanderbilt (38-23 last year)
On the other hand, this might be a bit high in most circles for Tim Corbin’s team, which BA ranked No. 15. But the usual combination of excellent pitching depth and an offense than can combine doubles and stolen bases is intriguing. It’s also been a minute since the VandyBoys reached Omaha (2021), so motivation won’t be an issue.
Vandy has relied less on the portal than many teams, but Corbin has an outstanding young core that has waited its turn. The hunch is there’s enough offensive firepower to keep Vandy in the SEC hunt.
5. Florida (36-30 last year)
Obviously, Jac Caglianone is gone — just like those 75 baseballs he blasted in his legendary career. But Florida has plenty of power and pitching talent. Another year of a 6.05 team ERA will see UF drop like a lead weight in these rankings. Sophomore Liam Peterson might be the most important pitcher in the SEC, and if he can develop into the star his tools have indicated, UF will return to Omaha.
4. Arkansas (44-16 last year)
Doesn’t it have to be Dave Van Horn’s turn at some point?
Five different SEC programs have won the past 5 College World Series titles: 2019 Vanderbilt, 2021 Mississippi State, 2022 Ole Miss, 2023 LSU and 2024 Tennessee. Arkansas, of course, lost the 2018 CWS finals in heartbreaking fashion.
Arkansas was insanely talented on the mound a year ago, missing the team ERA crown by 0.01 run behind Tennessee (3.87). Arkansas held opponents to a .217 average and 56 homers. With a couple of impressive transfers in Zach Root and Landon Beidelschies, Arkansas’ staff may not fall off at all from a season ago. Kendall Diggs and transfer Brent Iredale have to deliver with the bat, but if they do, Van Horn’s title season could be at hand.
3. LSU (43-23 last year)
LSU retooled — adding 9 of BA’s Top 100 transfers to a stacked recruiting class — and has all the ingredients for a title chase. Freshman Derek Curiel is one of the most intriguing prospects in recent memory. Holdover Jared Jones (28 HRs in 2024) is a proven home run hitter. Cade Anderson and Chase Shores will be counted on to lead the rotation. Both have superstar stuff, but one was in the bullpen and one was hurt a year ago. If they’re right, so is LSU.
2. Tennessee (60-13 last year)
The defending College World Series champs slide all the way to … 2nd. The addition of Gavin Kilen (Louisville) and Andrew Fischer (Ole Miss) from the portal ensures a potent offense. On the mound, Ole Miss transfer Liam Doyle and bullpen standout Nate Snead look like a quality 1-2 punch. Tennessee would stay at No. 1 most years. But this isn’t most years.
1. Texas A&M (53-15 last year)
New coach? So what? Michael Earley inherits a team that went to the CWS finals and looks even better. Gavin Kash from Texas Tech will fit in well with potential No. 1 overall pick Jace LaViolette and Gavin Grahovac. On the mound, Ryan Prager is arguably the best pitcher in the country. A&M has an embarrassment of riches and no obvious weakness. They’re No. 1 until somebody else proves otherwise.
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
